BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) — Purdue's David Blough threw three more touchdown passes, receiver Rondale Moore scored twice and tied a school record with his seventh 100-yard game of the season Saturday to lead the Boilermakers to a 28-21 victory at rival Indiana.
By reclaiming the Old Oaken Bucket for the second straight year, Purdue (6-6, 5-4) also became bowl-eligible in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2011-12.
Indiana (5-7, 2-7) lost six of its final seven games, falling one win short of the postseason for the second year in a row.
Stevie Scott led the Hoosiers by rushing 20 times for 104 yards and one TD, giving him a school-record six 100-yard games by a true freshman. Peyton Ramsey was 36 of 51 with 345 yards and one interception but struggled to consistently put the Hoosiers in scoring position.
Moore had 12 catches for 141 yards, making him the second Purdue receiver in school history to reach 100 receptions in a single season. He now has 103.
Blough was 27 of 35 for 310 yards with one interception.
Not surprisingly, it was the duo of Moore and Blough who changed the game.
They combined to break a 7-7 tied when Moore caught a 56-yard TD pass after the defender slipped down in the second quarter.
Moore made it 21-7 late in the third quarter when he turned Blough's perfectly thrown ball into a 33-yard TD reception.
Ramsey cut the deficit to 21-14 with 7:33 left to play on a 23-yard TD run.
But Purdue sealed the win with three big plays — Markell Jones' 32-yard run with 3:48 left, Navon Mosley's interception on the Hoosiers' ensuing possession and an onside kick recovery with 76 seconds left after Ramsey hooked up with Nick Westbrook on a 40-yard TD pass with 1:17 left.
THE TAKEAWAY
Purdue: Coach Jeff Brohm has taken the Boilermakers to bowl games in each of his first two seasons as head coach, beating the Hoosiers both times to make it. He's been to bowl games all five seasons he's been a head coach and now Purdue faces its biggest offseason question: Will Brohm return for Year 3 with a job opening at his alma mater, Louisville.
Indiana: The Hoosiers spent all of the last offseason preaching the importance of finishing. But after starting 4-1, the Hoosiers only got one more win and must figure out what needs to change to avoid a third straight bowl absence in 2019.
UP NEXT
Purdue: Will find out its bowl fate on Dec. 2.
Indiana: Faces another longer-than-expected offseason to figure out how to get back to the postseason.
